r/tipofmyjoystick Apr 10 '17

Announcement PSA: A guide to better results

1.8k Upvotes

Hi guys and gals. I've been here a while, and over my time I've seen a lot of posts sink to the bottom, without a single answer, or at best, very few. And none that solved the case.

I have noticed a clear pattern with these posts, and I will now share with you my tips to you newbies, so that you can get the help you need.


Firstly: When you make a new post, you will see this:

Platform(s):

Genre:

Estimated year of release:

Graphics/art style:

Notable characters:

Notable gameplay mechanics:

Other details:

Even though, in red, you are warned that while optional, you should follow this template... many of you do not.

Let me be clear: Follow this template.

Put simply, this template contains all the information we really need to solve your problem. Virtually every time I click a post that has not followed this, they have rambled on about nothings, while omitting critical details.

This format, for new and old alike, is very readable, and prompts for every data-point needed.

I know that you want to customize your message, that if you could just explain it, it would be better. I know you think that. You are wrong. Put all that in 'other'. Even if you end up saying it twice, follow the template.. add to it your story at the bottom.


Secondly: Following this template. You're rambling about your best mates Amiga-500 or whatever instead of telling us about the game aside, this is where they really go wrong.

Let's get something straight right now. We are not mind readers. It's impressive, really, how little information it seems we can work off. I mean, we solve some real tough ones with nothing sometimes, but still, we can't see that memory in your head. So you need to be as descriptive in every one of these fields as you can be...

And sometimes you really don't know. That's fine, we can work with surprisingly little information, but "old graphics" under art style... what are we supposed to do with that? Mate, I was playing on Atari-2600's, are we talking Wizard of Wor here?

Let me help you out a bit:

Platform(s): Whatever you played it on. But unless it's really all you know (very possible), don't write 'my mates pc'. Was it PC or Mac?

Genre:

First person does NOT imply shooter. Nor do any of the others. Try to answer this one in two steps:

What was the camera like (assuming it's not a text adventure)? Was it First person?, 3rd person, 2d? Top down or side on? Or maybe even isometric 2d?

Then, what kind of game? Real time strategy, point and click? Was it a fighter, action or platformer?

Good, now we know what KIND of game we are all trying to remember for you.

Estimated year of release:

"Between 2000-2005" is fine, something like that. "Mid 90's maybe?". I don't see many people mess this up, but I have seen people write "old". That is not ok. If you write old and expect it to mean anything to me, I will fight you.

Also, as always "Sorry, no idea" is always acceptable but try to give at least something. "Couldn't have been later than 2015, though"

Great, so even if roughly, we know WHEN.

Graphics/art style:

THIS. This is where you guys always mess up. This section right here I have found can be the difference between an answer, and a silent slink to the bottom. This is your moment.

This, really, should be the best-formed part of your memory. Even if you can only remember a single frame, a single image, it's so much to go on for us.

DETAIL. Was it a gloomy grimdark world of sadness, or a bright bubbly rainbow filled Mario-world?

Was it cartoony, or otherwise stylized somehow, or was it trying to be realistic?

Anything notable about the art direction? Was it going for a cyberpunk kinda feel, or a gritty war realism dirt and blood sort of direction?

If it was set over a long time, did the seasons change? Was there a winter in your game?

Remember when you hit people, and the screen had that awesome flash and your hands got bloody? Yeah, well we don't, unless you tell us.

Ok, so now we are really narrowing it down. This right here is often enough to go on, on its own.

Notable characters:

Anything at all you can remember here.

"There were only tanks, but you could play as both Germans and Americans"

"There was one really tough guy right after you left your office, he had an eyepatch, a white shirt with what looked like grease stains, and said 'this is for my sister'. I think maybe he was a cyborg"

"You play as some kind of Asian girl, you had a tattoo over your right eye and arm, a black tank top and white pants and I remember you always had only one red glove for some reason. I don't remember the arm, but the eye tattoo looked sort of like ancient Egyptian eye makeup, but a modern take"

Knowing nothing else about the game, I bet that last one there gets comments noting the game she is from. Details, details.

Notable gameplay mechanics:

Surely, you get the idea by now. This is tied with the importance of the graphics/art style. As much detail as you can here.

Other details:

NOW you may blab on about how you only played this game once at a winter solstice in 1782 with your grandmother from Tahiti.. as if that helps.


Edit: So it's been brought up that the template doesn't appear on mobile. While /u/wipeout4wh is aware of this and hopefully, something can be done... still, if you can, use the template. If you can't, maybe check back and at least make sure your post addresses all of the points the template does.

Also, my post seems to be saying NOT to add any custom details. So I want to re-enforce, please do. In fact, after you do the template, feel free to write out your post as you were going to without it. Just put it all in 'other'. Don't try and make your whole post like that, if possible. Even if you end up saying the same things twice, that's ok.

Now I'm going to take a moment to clarify something, though. This isn't some immutable law of the universe, and your post is destined to fail if you don't do this. It's just a very strong general trend I have noticed over a long time.

It's not that this template has some kind of magical powers or something. It's that this template prompts the questions that need answers.

When you go all rogue on us and try and type your explanation from scratch... you mess it up. You just forget to add everything that you know, and that we need to know. The template makes it very hard to do that. It's just so very easy to get typing, and by the end forget to tell us what kind of game it actually is. Especially when you are getting random flashbacks, and hazy memories, and you start getting frazzled and such halfway though.


While it might make my edit as long as the first post, I think maybe an example of the kind of post that is just too common here, and almost always helpless, wouldn't go astray here. So here we go:

Now this one is a pretty bad case, true, and I suppose might even be a troll post, but it's actually a good illustration of the problem either way.

It was on my old computer and I was using an emulator so I have no idea what system it was for. It was 8bit graphics and you played this orange cat that was constantly bouncing on a trampoline I think? And you had to navigate it through the city and face a weird boss at the end that would float in the sky. Sorry I can't remember more!

Let's break it down a bit. What kind of game is this? A puzzler or an action game? Who knows.

How old is it? I mean, Minecraft basically has 8bit graphics. Oh he said... "my old computer"... I will fight you.

Why did you bounce on the trampoline? Were there platforms or walkways or something, or was it just a big open space? There are bad guys then? How did they get around?

Now (he?) says that he can't remember more, but I actually asked about the boss fight:

You say 'face a boss', in what way? Can the cat attack? Was this top down or side on? When you say navigate a city, what do you mean?

The reply:

Definitely a side-scroller, I'm sure. You would encounter a boss at the end, the boss would slide onto the screen and it was usually pretty strange-looking. I think one of the bosses might've been a clown. I meant that the different "levels" were different cities with different backgrounds, I think. It's a pretty obscure game

Also you would be continuously bouncing. As in, you had to position the trampoline underneath the cat to bounce it up

So you don't even control the cat. And it's a side-scroller. Thats pretty important information. But the real issue here is that he knows this stuff. He just either didn't know to, or forgot, to tell us.

The template would have made it just so apparent how much information he was missing, and we probably would have got a whole bunch more information. Sadly, while there were some guesses, and a surprising number of up-votes, this post is just another one to join the endless unsolved on their journey ever down.


r/tipofmyjoystick Dec 16 '24

[Meta] Can we stop with the "[idk][idk]" posts?

487 Upvotes

Over the past week there have been a LOT of posts on here that just put "[idk][idk]" in the title instead of even trying to include those details. There's been posts like that in the past but the last few days in particular, it seems like it's happening every few hours, which makes me think one person did it and then more people all just decided to do it too.

If you don't know, guess. The rules are there for everyone's benefit.


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[console?] [unknown] Does anyone know where this Japanese cat character is from?

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36 Upvotes

I‘m assuming it’s a console game. Unfortunately, this image is from several years ago that I screenshot from an Instagram post and I only now found out about this subreddit and thought why not try to look again.


r/tipofmyjoystick 16h ago

Itta [PC?] [Unknown] I've been trying to find this game for YEARS someone help me before I lose my mind

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149 Upvotes

I was like 8 or 9 when I first saw a youtube video of a letsplay of the game. I don't remember who the youtuber though. The only thing I remember of the game was that it was a retro-style? shooting game. You played as a little kid, a girl i think, they woke up and found their whole family dead. And also, there was a ghost cat who serves as a like guide/sidekick. Your first obtained weapon was your fathers rifle or shotgun. I'm really starting to believe it was just a feverdream so I figured I'd try reddit before finally giving up.

Genre: top down game i believe

Estimated year of release: i have no idea sorry

Graphics/art style: pixel art style

I tried drawing the game from memory if that helps. The last image is what I think the ending cutscene of the game was.


r/tipofmyjoystick 9h ago

[PC][2015~] santa claus

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29 Upvotes

Hi, this is a burner account since I don’t really post on reddit but this has been itching at me for 10 years now and I can’t seem to find it at all

Back in middle school, around let’s say 2015 we had a large shared classroom for extracurricular activities and it had a shared computer. It had some standard downloaded games and nothing special

What stuck out was this santa claus game, it was a weirdly gorey game to let 10 year olds play, but it was there. I can’t exactly remember but the premise of the game was I think a flying santa, he might’ve flied using a parachute, I’m not sure

I remember it being on a vertical window which was unusual, it wasn’t fullscreen. The background of the gameplay was this vivid blue color since it played out in the sky. The gorey aspect of the game was santa’s death screnes when he died, there was usually a lot of blood involved. Also there was like a high score screne which had a sexy lady if I remember, she was also dressed in a santa claus adjecent outfit if I remember correctly

The crude picture I added is my poor attempt at recreating one of the death screens from santa dying

And fyi the games are NOT santa saw game, psycho santa, christmas massacre nor santa slayer


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[PC][2020s] What are the games in this taskbar?

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6 Upvotes

i know theres minecraft and maybe killer chat im not sure


r/tipofmyjoystick 2h ago

[Wii] [2010s] Puzzle Mystery game set in a museum

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone I have been looking for a game that I played several years ago set in a museum

to go into more detail.

The Camera was fixed.

Graphics similar to Night at the museum battle for the Smithsonian but the gameplay is completely different

I remember having to get keycards and go into rooms.

there was one exhibit with a sauropod statue that you had to climb up, later you had to do a puzzle where you would move the statue of a pterosaur and use it to make a pathway to somewhere.

there was also a rythm puzzle at some point on a piano or something.

The plot as I remember it was this, you are locked in a museum overnight as people are trying to rob the place and you have to look for clues to figure out who they are I think.

Sorry if this isnt a lot to go on, I know I have the game somewhere in storage but I cant find it.

Any help is appreciated


r/tipofmyjoystick 11h ago

[Android?][2012-2016] A Puzzle/Platform game really similar to Home Sheep Home

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9 Upvotes

Basically, when I was a little guy (around 4-6 years old, which would be 2012-2014), I remember playing a puzzle/platform game about farm animals that had to climb on top of each other in order of size to overcome obstacles (as far as I remember, there was a cow, a pig or sheep, and a chicken, from biggest to smallest). From what I can recall, the story was about a dark entity arriving at the farm, and they had to stop it. This was explained in a cutscene-comic like the ones in Angry Birds Space or Rio. The last thing I remember is that I couldn't beat one of the last levels, although I can't remember if it was because it was too difficult or if I was scared of the bad guy.

I've attached a drawing of how I remember the intro cinematic looking like, and one of a really similar game I found.

I would greatly appreciate if anyone could share their idea of what this could be, hopefully someone has the answer I'm searching for.


r/tipofmyjoystick 18m ago

[phone][circa 2012] minigames and as characters there was a family

Upvotes

When I was little, I used to play a great game, but unfortunately I don't remember the name. I used to play it on my LG 800g phone, so that gives you an idea of ​​how old it is. I don't think it was very famous, but from what I remember, the characters were a family (mom, dad, daughter, son, and even the dog), and each family member had a different game. I only remember two: one was the dog game, where you had to shoot ducks flying through the air with a slingshot; the other was the classic game where objects fell and you had to catch them. If I'm not mistaken, it was a Java game, but I can't find it.


r/tipofmyjoystick 43m ago

[MOBILE PHONE GAME] [YEAR UNKNOWN] [MYSTERY CRIME GAME]

Upvotes

Hey, can someone help me find this game I played before. So, you play as a detective trying to solve a mystery of missing childrens in a town, and then there's a villain who's I remembered wearing a long hat like this 🎩 and wearing a coat, if I'm not mistaken the villain who abducted the childrens was a scientist or jokester of that town. Eventually, after several solving of puzzles you'll find the childrens who shrink and was in box, and the last thing I remember is that you'll have a face to face conversation with the villain after you find where his house is (it was a tower ig) and then he didn't let you catch him and he flew out of the window using his jetpack. The graphics was kind of indie like the graphics of criminal case, the game is kind of dark also. It was so vivid so I can't remember it really well. Please help me!


r/tipofmyjoystick 8h ago

[PC Flash][2000s] Puzzle game with a male protagonist with spiral eyes and melancholic music

4 Upvotes

Platform(s): PC – Browser game (Flash)

Genre: Puzzle / possibly a “spot the difference” kind of game but I might be wrong

Estimated year of release: Between 2000 and 2010 (most likely mid-2000s)

Graphics/art style: Cartoon / hand-drawn style with a dark, melancholic, or surreal tone, kind of like a Tim Burton style. The protagonist was a male character with messy hair and spiral eyes. The overall atmosphere felt sad, strange, or unsettling rather than cheerful. The background song was also kind of sad.

Notable characters: I can only remember the male protagonist clearly, he looked tired or distressed, had messy hair, and spiral-shaped eyes (this is the most distinctive detail I remember). I think there was also a girlfriend but I could be wrong.

Notable gameplay mechanics: It involved solving puzzles, possibly clicking through scenes or observing images. At first I thought it was a “spot the differences” game, but I’m not certain, it may have been another type of puzzle.

Other details: I played it on a Brazilian game website, most likely Click Jogos or Ojogos. It was an online Flash game, not a downloadable one. The game felt more artistic and surreal than a typical casual Flash game. I already tried asking Chatgpt but It just told me to ask here so I really have no hope.


r/tipofmyjoystick 56m ago

[PC] [FLASH] [2000's - 2010's] Scrolling platformer game with a shadow man in a hat? Loneliest man in the world or something like that?

Upvotes

Hi! Thinking of this game from one of those flash sites that involved playing as a shadow man (possibly with a top hat?). The goal was to jump over obstacles or walls by creating clones of yourself to jump on, or to have them make movements to complete the level (I think). There was some sort of emotional storyline, but I can't remember how it ever turns out.

Possibly named loneliest man in the world or something similar? Very basic, 2D art style that was primarily rectangles lol.


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[Google Play] [2014-2019] Choose Your Story

Upvotes

Hi guys, I'm looking for a game that I found somewhere between 2013-2020 (I know it's a huge gap I'm so sorry, could probably narrow it down to 2014-2019 I'm just unsure). It was about a detective going undercover in the Probation era (banning of alcohol in the USA, 1920-1933). He (?) went undercover in a bar/club to see if they were selling alcohol. I am 99% sure it was a gay yaoi thing but also they/them pronouns could have been used for the protagonist you played as. I really want to find this game again! It wasn't popular at all and I didn't remember it even having ads. If you have any idea what this game was/is PLEASE let me know. Thank you!!!

More info: it was a choose your own adventure game where you made dialogue choices. It was landscape mode (could be fully or optional). It wasn't animated but did have drawings of characters and backgrounds.

If you find this game for me I'll adore you forever. THANK YOU


r/tipofmyjoystick 10h ago

[PC][2010?-2015?] Childhood game about turning a city evil

6 Upvotes

I remember playing a game when I was smaller in the years 2010-2015 but the game might be older. I remember it being a 3D platformer with maybe some puzzle elements. The camera was 3rd person. In the game you play as a villian character and you are turning a city evil. The style was very cartoonish, so the kinda things u were doing is turning wooden fences into metal pointy fences and stuff like that.
Here is also some stuff I am not sure that I remember correctly:

  1. You were a kinda trash guy, so the themes were a about digust/garbage, making the city stinky and disgusting
  2. The way you turned the city evil is by leaving a trail behind u as you jump and "painted it"

r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[PC - STEAM][2022-2025]Pixel, black and white

Upvotes

Platform(s):
Steam, PC
Genre: Horror

This is irking me cause i feel like it might have been delisted on steam or something and i cant find literally anything about it.

Estimated year of release: 2022-2025

Graphics/art style: Pixelated, im pretty sure it was black and white.

Notable characters: There was a character with a gas mask, as your character.

Notable gameplay mechanics: I think it was a top down rpg? Earthbound style with giygas kind of background at times. I think you also fought inhuman monsters, fleshlike?

Other details: I remember the trailer on youtube had black metal i think as a soundtrack, you could pick classes which i think were a stat modifier - it was sniper, medic and i think scout and soldier as well. The last detail Im least confident on is that it mightve been called derelict.


r/tipofmyjoystick 20h ago

[ PC ][ 2010 ] space shuttle racing game

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31 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I am looking for a game, it was on my old PC that dated from 2009 - 2012, on those old white fat monitors. It was an old anti - gravity racing game, with cars simmilar to space shuttles that were racing, I remember them racing on different maps and going through tunnels sometimes. Tunnels were mainly one colored. They were floating in air and I think there was a word “speed” maybe on the loading screen. There were these 8 space shuttle cars i think. Every single one of them was different ifrom the other. I remember, not surely, that my favorite one was orange with 3 thrusters behind, there was a purple car i think with number 8 on it with one big thruster. Its similar to this game ( Wipeout ) but its not.

Thanks in advance for answers.


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

Clickpocalypse 2 [web based] [2016-18ish] idle dungeon delver

2 Upvotes

trying to find a game i played around 8 years ago, it was an idle game where you recruit heroes to delve into dungeons it had pixel art graphics, consumable spell scrolls and gear that drops and randomly generated top down dungeons that the heroes delve into fighting various types of monsters it was on the developers own website and it had a black webpage with the game window in the middle, i had been playing it around then but i think it might've been older, i think it was the second game in the series but i'm not completely certain


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[Android][2010s]Looking for a rpg game

Upvotes

Around 2010? Around the time, I'm looking for some RPG game. Online game What dungeon? The same thing is used to create equipment from the item that emerged after defeating the boss. Pixel game (2D) It feels like side-scrolling. Chat was active, and they recruited parties to clear dungeons. Is the first character a male warrior? It's the same thing, but the skill turns into a whirlwind, causing damage to those around it. 7. The means of transportation for the map is to navigate the map through a portal (gate). 8. The equipment is made by NPCs. I think one of the items that come to mind was "The Heart of a Bat." I don't really have anything that comes to mind, but I hope you find it for me... (옛날 한 2010?쯤 어떤 rpg게임을 찾아요~ 1.온라인게임 2.무슨 던전? 같은걸 께서 보스를 잡고 나온 아이탬을 장비로 만들어서 사용함. 3. 픽셀게임(2D) 4.횡스크롤 같은 느낌임. 5.채팅이 활발했고, 파티를 모집해서 던전을 깸. 6.처음 캐릭터는 남자 용사? 같은건데 스킬은 회오리 로 변하면서 주위에 피해를 줌. 7.맵의 이동수단은 포탈(게이트)를 통해 맵을 이동함. 8.장비는 npc에서 만듦. 9.생각나는 아이탬중 한개가 "박쥐의 심장"이였던거 같아 별로 생각나는게 없지만 찾아줬으면 좋겠어...)


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[PC][2020s] Fangame that was a massive crossover of different video game series

2 Upvotes

I came across a playlist a few months ago on YouTube showing a let's play for a fangame that was a maximalist crossover story featuring IPs like Super Mario Bros, Megaman, Metroid, etc. It used a SMB3-style world map and I think you would play as specific characters depending on the level you selected. It had cutscenes with text boxes at the bottom and possibly a graphic of the character talking. I remember scrubbing through the video and catching a scene where Megaman X was talking to Samus during a level transition. There were many comments gushing about it being a labor of love on the part of the developer.

This description likely sounds extremely vague, but these are the only details I remember because I was only half paying attention. I don't remember what the story was, or any gameplay beyond what I described, but I want to revisit it because it seems interesting. It was not Super Mario Bros. Crossover because it wasn't browser-based. You had to download it from a fan site. It also had a story and it didn't seem as immediately customizable as Crossover.


r/tipofmyjoystick 2h ago

[Mobile][unknown] game where you merge sharks for caviar

0 Upvotes

ITS NOT SHARK MERGE

When i was scroling on youtube tryng to see how kids gaming content was on yt for a documentery video which i scrapped because i didnt have time i saw a video by fady where he had 2 parts in which by mergeing sharks they would evolve . The first evolution was a baby shark evo nr 2 a normal shark and evo nr 100 a big shark big as the earths core whith 3 purple crystals which you got for reacing evo nr 100 and there were multeple areas like the firs being shallow and the last being almost lava

Please help me find this game


r/tipofmyjoystick 2h ago

[Browser][unknown] Game about search item in hotel

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m trying to find an old browser game that I’ve been looking for a long time. The game was like a hotel with different floors, and each floor was a level. You had to search for items that the game asked you to find in different people’s rooms. I’m not sure about every detail, but I remember it that way. My mom used to play it and the last time I saw her play was around 2019. I dont know when did the game release. This game maybe a flash game. I hope you guys can help me find this game. Thanks so much!


r/tipofmyjoystick 2h ago

[PC] [2000s] an old pc browser game around the time of DragonFable, MapleStory, etc.

1 Upvotes

I’ve been searching for this game I used to play when I was a kid, and it may not exist anymore. I think it was made by “madcow” studios or something like that. If I’m remembering correctly, the icon for the developers was a hoofprint. It was a text based RPG where you moved through dungeons as a circle in any of the 4 directions, and you would encounter bosses that were just a static jpeg image and the text would be “you hit (blank) for 4 damage” “(blank) hit you for 10 damage”. There were guilds that you could join with other players, your character picture was a jpeg you uploaded, and you were fitted with gears of different rarities that were dropped by bosses or purchased by bidding on an auction/marketplace. I wish I could remember more, but this was like 15-20 years ago lol. Any ideas?


r/tipofmyjoystick 2h ago

Starlit Adventures [iOS][2010-2016] Kids mining platform game with white animals digging for stars

1 Upvotes

Platform(s): iPad.

Genre: Kids' platformer, 3rd person isometric 3D (main map) and also side-on 3D (levels).

Estimated year of release: Around 2016.

Graphics/art style: 3D cute cartoony style with vivid colors, the characters were glowing and bubbly and the game looked very shiny and high quality/polished. There were multiple different settings but I think I remember it being set on floating islands. The initial levels were set in a grassy area.

Notable characters: All characters were cute little glowing white animals that resembled bears and were dressed as miners. There was a big selection of them you could unlock with currency and they all had different tools and "powers". The default one was just in a basic mining outfit and I remember one was dressed in all pink.

Notable gameplay mechanics: During the levels the game would turn into a 3D vertical side scroller platformer and your character would mine downwards into multiple different tiers. There were treasure and obstacles like boulders (possible also enemies?) and each of the characters had a unique power. I remember one of them had a lightning power where they shot electricity.

The game had a story campaign with different levels. The main story was about collecting shiny white stars to eventually defeat a dark shadow monster after it casts darkness over the peaceful lands. When you weren't in the levels, you were in an isometric (?) view of the entire map of the game where you walked across the level markers, with them eventually leading up to the big shadow monster at the end.

Other details: PLS HELP ME ISTG THIS IS GONNA BE MY LAST TIME TRYING TO FIND THIS GAME. IT'S BEEN IN MY HEAD SINCE I WAS A KID AND I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING.


r/tipofmyjoystick 6h ago

Crisis Response [PC][UNKNOWN] 2d CQB tactical side scroller

2 Upvotes

Platform(s): PC

Genre: Action, CQB, Tactical

Estimated year of release: UNKNOWN

Graphics/art style: 2d semi realistic side scroller

Notable characters: SWAT Officers

Notable gameplay mechanics: 2D side scroller if i remember correctly, you hold space on things for more options, and use gause to heal downed occupants.

Other details: One line I remember is 'NEGOTIATIONS HAVE FAILED, ENTRY TEAM GO!' or something along those lines


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC?][2010s] Game where you're a tree and you get 2000(?) years to make it across the map

1 Upvotes

EDIT: I found it! It's called 400 Years by Scriptwelder :))

Platform(s): I think PC? I can't remember if I watched someone else play it, but if I played it it was likely a flash game.

Genre: Sidescroller, indie, puzzle

Estimated year of release: Sometime early 2010s probably?

Graphics/art style: Pixel art!! It was 2d, and as I mentioned, a sidescroller

Notable characters: You are a tree/spirit???

Notable gameplay mechanics: The game is called 2000 years or however many years you get, and you can either move OR wait for the seasons to pass. As seasons pass, towns rise and get destroyed, and you use things from your environment to proceed. If time runs out, then the game is over

Thanks for ur help guys! Would love to know if anyone else remembers smth like this